First Look at Yaya DaCosta as Whitney Houston

In the first image released from the film, DaCosta, who starred in Lee Daniels the Butler, recreated the pop star’s 1987 Whitney album cover.

“I just looked at the picture and did the pose,” the former America’s Next Top Model contestant told Entertainment Weekly.

The film, which is being directed by Angela Bassett, focuses on Houston’s relationship with Bobby Brown and does not address the singer’s untimely death.

Bassett told EW that she went with newcomers for the roles of Houston and Brown.

“I want you to fall into the world of Whitney and Bobby. And I don’t want to stop you at the gate with maybe the image of something familiar, someone you’ve seen from something else,” she said. “Yaya was far and above the only choice.”